ems to me to be one of the best things ever done in Alexandria."

"And is the lad a proficient in magic?" asked Hadrian. "It seems to
me simply impossible that he should have completed this statue and a
woman's bust in these few days."

Pontius explained to the Emperor that Pollux had mounted the head on a
bust already to hand, and as he answered his questions without reserve,
he revealed to him what stupendous exertions of the arts had been called
into requisition to give the dilapidated palace a suitable and, in its
kind, even brilliant appearance. He frankly confessed that here he was
working only for effect, and talked to Hadrian exactly as he would have
discussed the same subject with any other fellow-artist.

While the Emperor and the architect were thus eagerly conversing, and
the prefect was hearing from Phlegon, the secretary, all the experience
of their journey, Pollux reappeared in the hall of the Muses accompanied
by his father. The singer carried before him a steaming mess, fresh
cakes of bread, and the pasty which a few hours previously he had
carried home to his wife from the architect's table. Pollux held to his
breast a tolerably large two-handled jar full of Mareotic wine, which he
had hastily wreathed with branches of ivy.

A few minutes later the Emperor was reclining on a mattress that had
been laid for him, and was making his way valiantly through the
savory mess. He was in the happiest humor; he called Antinous and his
secretary, heaped abundant portions with his own hand on their plates,
which he bade them hold out to him, declaring as he did so that it was
to prevent their fishing the best of the sausages out of the cabbage for
themselves. He also spoke highly of the Mareotic wine. When they came
to opening the pasty the expression of his face changed; he frowned and
asked the prefect in a suspicious tone, severely and sternly:

"How came these people by such a pasty as this?"

"Where did you get it from?" asked the prefect of the singer.

"From the banquet which the architect gave to the artists here,"
answered Euphorion. "The bones were given to the Graces and this dish,
which had not been touched, to me and my wife. She devoted it with
pleasure to Pontius' guest."

Titianus laughed and exclaimed:

"This then accounts for the total disappearance of the handsome supper
which we sent down to the architect. This pasty-allow me to look at
it--this pasty was prepared by a recipe obtained f